Got some 1/2" ID tubing today to make radiator/grill shell braces. Fitted them, mounted the alternator to the engine and everything clears, but I will make a new alt. braket to mount it lower and closer to the front cover. Not enough room for belt adjustment as is.

The radiator core support seemed simple, but required quite alot of time to fit everything and get it all aligned. It's decieving looking at photos, as it LOOKED assembled before, but everything was sort of just propped in place. Now, it's ALL bolted up and aligned. I'm pretty happy with the fit, although I think I'll have to lengthen the hood sides about 3/8" on each side to get things perfect. It's not bad, but it might as well be right at this point.

I spent a little time today fixing the passenger side of the hood. The hinges were sprung and torn, along with a small tear in the top of the hood. Turned out to be easier to fix than I'd thought, I got it all done, made some hood hold downs for the center hinge, and have it mounted to the car. It now fits the cowl perfectly, not bad at the grill shell (which I'm laying to the fact the grill shell is an old repop).

Also fitted the hood filler panels (below the hood), drilled and tapped mounting holes in the frame for those, and mounted them. I'd had 'em propped up and clamped before. The busted hood ornament I bought cheap on ebay I modified a little to mount to my home made radiator core support, and have it all together. It looks great, fits nicely, and is the last of the body fabrication that had to be done. Whew.

Not much progress with holiday "Honeydo" chores and entertaining, but a little. I picked up the radiator and mocked it up. It turns out all my carefull guesswork and estimating paid off, it fits with half an inch to spare all around. Whew!

I'll make a simple horse collar (or core support if you prefer) that will mount the radiator, grill shell and front hood hinge clamp. I'll also fab a couple struts from grill shell to cowl to stiffen things up. It'll be simple.

I also experimented with blasting the sheetmetal with my little pressure feed blaster and silica sand from the hardware store. Works pretty well, I dialed the pressure down to about 60 lbs at the blaster, it blows the original paint off as fast as I can move the nozzle. The rusty, pitted areas take a little time, but they do clean up. It'll be way cheaper, and faster counting hauling the thing around, than having it done elsewhere.

My goal was to have all the bodywork and fabrication done by the first of the year, I'm right on. After the Holidays I can pull it apart, start in on the engine and trans, and be ready for assembly when the weather warms up. We'll be ready for summer!

Well, I went and bought two new Coker 350x16 widewhites for the front on ebay for a ridiculously cheap price. Several of my hot rodder buddies were over the other night and all thought that 'cycle tires would be OK to use. Two of 'em NSRA safety inspectors.

They're brand new, for 3 1/2" rims, 760 lb load limit. Should be OK on the 16x4 rims, and well withing the weight limit. In addition, the double sided whitewalls will look waay cool. Now a pair of 800x16 WW's for the back and I'm good to go for wheel/tire set up and it'll look exactly like I pictured it in my head. If I want to take corners fast, I'll take the 17" and 16" American Racing Salt Flat Specials off my '59 T'Bird.

Also ordered up a 65 Mustang style 3 row, aluminum radiator, which is the only thing that'll fit behind the grill shell. Hopefully it'll cool the big bad Cad 472. If not, a couple of heater cores tucked underneath the floor somewhere...

With the radiator, I can fab up the mounts and finish up the grill shell mounting, the last fabrication I need to do before the car comes apart for blasting! Progress!

Here's some other things I'm working on. The trailer is a '46 Spartan Manor. It's almost done, I have to have it finished up for an end of May '08 outing.

The car is our '59 T'Bird, which my wife thinks I should sell. I think it needs the windshield severly chopped, throw away the top, and paint it candy dark blue on the bottom and silver on top. It has a 5.0/AOD. It was all done once untill somebody backed into me. Oh well...